Odd looking pickup

[Rene T]

Saw something odd looking today. It was a Ford pickup, crew cab with a 8' bed. It looked like it may gave been a F350. The odd thing was that instead of having just 1 rear axle, it had two. It looked like the original axle was moved forward a little and the rear axle was behind that. Never saw one before so I'm thinking it was not factory made.

 

[HappyWanderer]

It wasn't. There's at least one company out there doing this aftermarket upgrade.

The first one I ever saw going down the highway was a Dodge pickup with a truck camper. It took a minute for my brain to process what I was looking at!

 

[Guest]

I have never seen this, too bad you didnt get a pic of it, sounds interesting.

 

[SeilerBird]

Haven't you people heard of Google Image Search?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing SeilerBird      But what would i search for if i had never seen one "odd looking pickup truck" lol  hee hee

That does cause a double take on the road...

I wonder if it has a double drive shaft or just a single one with the front axle driving the second axle?

 

[SeilerBird]

Thanks for sharing SeilerBird      But what would i search for if i had never seen one "odd looking pickup truck" lol  hee hee

That does cause a double take on the road...

I wonder if it has a double drive shaft or just a single one with the front axle driving the second axle?

I searched for 'pickup truck with two rear axles'. Got a page full of hits. Google understands English better than most people. I ask Google questions all day long and they always have the answer.  )

 

[BigLarry]

I remember seeing a few of them many years ago, but haven't seen one anytime recently.  Like Tom, I also did a Google search and it appears there were some after market companies selling conversion kits back in the 1980's.  What I see now appears to be mostly for Foreign trucks and both axles pull and used for off highway use.

 

[John From Detroit]

I searched for 'pickup truck with two rear axles. Got a page full of hits. Google understands English better than most people. I ask Google questions all day long and they always have the answer.  )

I do the same thing but not for that pic.

Most likely a single drive shaft to the front axle and a "Sub Shaft" to the rear  I can see a very good reason for doing that. MORE CCC than even with Dual Tires (2 axles 2x the Cargo Handling) and no making it wider so it won't fit through the gate.

OF course Fords are already terribly light in the tail so they give me the feeling they want to oversteer which truly scares me Unlike say Dodge or GM which hold the road well.  But it's one way to get more cargo capacity (Two ways actually 2 rear axles and too much weight on the front axle).

 

[Rene T]

This was the truck I saw.

 

[Roy M]

The rear axle is likely a tag, no power, for extra load carrying capacity but seems to me the extra weight would be counter productive. Looks cool but it would probably shake the dentures loose.

 

[catblaster]

This was the truck I saw.

That certainly is an odd duck. The addition of the extra axle could hinder traction by taking weight off of powered axle..... if it is not also powered.  On my old Deuce and a half both rears are under power and have a suspension that ties the two together with a pivot point in the middle. Best ride possible for a truck of its size and the only drawbacks are weight, turning radius and milage. Many military truck owners "bob" them by removing one axle. They ride rougher and can never go where our double axle trucks go.

 

[Rene T]

Will, that's not a old 2 1/2 ton truck. When I 1st joined the National Guard in 1966, I drove old trucks. I couldn't find pictures of it online. The hood was more rounded. Between the driver and passenger, there was a pedestal which stood about 20" high and on top of that, was the automatic shifter. We didn't get your style truck until we got activated in 1968 (off to Vietnam) and I had a brand new 5 ton. 

 

[sightseers]

The rear axle is likely a tag, no power, for extra load carrying capacity but seems to me the extra weight would be counter productive. Looks cool but it would probably shake the dentures loose.

I worked at a company that took their large trucks and added in a tag axle that was powered by a giant fan belt.  It was about 2" wide and went around a bolted on pulley on both sets of dualies.

They had the tag axles added because the trucks with all the equipment were overweight on the rear axle.  Then we were breaking the drive axles as we drove up and over curbs when the drive axle lost traction. So they added in the fan belt.

 

[blw2]

Haven't you people heard of Google Image Search?

ha ha

As an aviation buff and a 'low level' photography buff, I used to grab a picture of almost every airplane at airshows.  I had boxes and albums full of prints and negatives.  Things like landmarks too.  Never looked at them, but that's beside the point....

Now days I don't bother.  I figure that if I ever want to see a picture of say a Stinson 108, I just search for it and usually find way better shots than I could ever take anyway.... ditto for the Empire State buidling...

Anyway, I don't think I've ever seen a truck like that on the road.

 

[Rene T]

Found it:

https://www.google.com/search?q=1950's+army+2+1/2+ton+truck&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=fyBsCsfu9p4jWM%253A%252CZFpdvMUwWkenkM%252C_&usg=AFrqEzekJkPkjdXgfQHyVKfLCFPMqvMTYw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj677allNvcAhXpdN8KHQnYAGwQ9QEwAHoECAAQBA#imgrc=vvfXx0vs5X7GoM:&spf=1533652466890